Patterico's Pontifications

9/8/2014

One Of The Good Guys

Filed under: General — Dana @ 5:24 pm



[guest post by Dana]

Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy passed away today at age 93. Truett’s life is the epitome of an American success story. In spite of humble beginnings and through hard work, he was able to achieve greatness and become a billionaire.

Starting at age 8, he sold soft drinks and magazines, and then began delivering newspapers, winning awards for signing up new Atlanta Journal subscribers, according to his family’s Web site. His mother took in boarders to help pay the bills.

The chicken chain that Mr. Cathy started in Georgia in 1946 grew to more than 1,800 restaurants in 39 states and the nation’s capital, according to the Atlanta-based company’s Web site. Chick-fil-A is valued at about $5.5 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Cathy had a net worth of $1.9 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Cathy kept things simple and real, as evidenced by the company’s mission statement:

“To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.”

And in 2012, when accused by gay rights groups of having financially supported religious groups participating in the debate defining gay marriage, Cathy’s son Dan freely acknowledged their position:

“Well, guilty as charged. We are very much supportive of the family, the biblical definition of the family unit.”

Protests and petitions ensued, but in spite of thug tactics, Chik-fil-A came out of it with nary a scratch, in fact, even more successful, perhaps because of the protests.

A few of Cathy’s nuggets:

On Christianity and business:

“Sometimes people ask if they have to be a Christian to work at Chick-fil-A. I say, ‘Not at all, but we ask that you make your business decisions based on biblical principles.’ There seem to be no conflicts when we tell people of various faiths how important it is to stick to the Scriptures in business decisions.”

“I see no conflict whatsoever between Christianity and good business practices. … People say you can’t mix business with religion. I say there’s no other way.”

On closing on Sundays:

“People appreciate you being consistent with your faith. It’s a silent witness to the Lord when people go into shopping malls, and everyone is bustling, and you see that Chick-fil-A is closed.”

And further:

Cathy believes that by giving employees Sunday off as a day for family, worship, fellowship or rest, the company attracts quality people. And people, Cathy says, are the cornerstone of all that Chick-fil-A does as a chain, work and family.

Cathy was a man who didn’t just blather on about values and principles. Rather, he lived them. A self-made man who had no fear of hard work and a man who lived by his principles – this is someone I hold in high regard. May his heavenly reward be sweet.

–Dana

21 Responses to “One Of The Good Guys”

  1. Hello.

    Dana (4dbf62)

  2. i like their spicy chicken biscuits for breakfast

    happyfeet (a785d5)

  3. Heh. I was just thinking I should comment: “cue happyfeet!” but didn’t because I didn’t want you to think I was being mean toward you. So, it’s really funny you just commented!

    Dana (4dbf62)

  4. Greetings:

    Having been there at the beginning of the end of the so-called “Blue Laws” that forced the closing of most commercial establishments, I have long thought it a significant step in the depreciation of our social fabric. I have long wished that someone would rename Sunday “Family Day” and force commercial enterprises to again close.

    I grew up in the Bronx of the ’50s and ’60s and my family spent Sundays going to church and visiting with family and friends. There was never any problem with not being able to shop on Sundays that two grown adult parents couldn’t circumvent. I have never even understood the business logic of shopping on Sundays. It was almost like it was a paranoia that the competition might (or might not) get a leg up. Kind of like the paranoia of going up against the homosexual “community”.

    One of ideas that the Jesuits inflicted on me was Teilhard du Chardin’s assertion that “Truth and one man is the majority:. Well played Mr. Cathy and may you rest in eternal peace, amen.

    11B40 (6abb5c)

  5. when my dad died the Chick-fil-A people sent tons of tasty foozle they were so sweet

    the only thing i think is weird about the Chick-fil-A thing – and it doesn’t happen everywhere but where I’m from it does – is they give you your food and say “have a blessed day” – you know – where blessed is two syllables

    i always just say “ok” and then go grab me some extra of those moist towelette thingies for the car

    happyfeet (a785d5)

  6. I have never had anyone at CFA say “have a blessed day” to me. That may be a regional thing.

    Denver Todd (831352)

  7. It amazes me how far down the road to depravity America has travelled. How did we get to the point where a faithful Christian man, a family man, who practices his faith when dealing with his community, his employees, and his business associates is vilified for his beliefs? Yet no one speaks even a whisper about Moslems who murder and rape women and children, behead innocent people by the thousands for not following their barbaric “religion” and generally around the entire modern world try their best to destroy everything they come in contact with.

    I’m sure there is a collective rejoicing at Mr. Cathy’s passing in LGBTG community since HE personifies the real problem, not the barbarians who are now through the gates.

    Hoagie (4dfb34)

  8. Amen, Dana.

    felipe (40f0f0)

  9. I have long wished that someone would rename Sunday “Family Day” and force commercial enterprises to again close.

    11B40 (6abb5c) — 9/8/2014 @ 5:41 pm

    That would be harmful to Jewish-owned businesses that are closed on Saturdays — based on biblical principles.

    aunursa (932331)

  10. i am adamantly opposed to the government having a say in when businesses are open, for any reason.

    we need less government, not moar.

    imho, of course. YMMV.

    redc1c4 (abd49e)

  11. i should enjoy a spicy chicken biscuit for breakfast come a sunday morning someday

    i should enjoy it very much i think

    happyfeet (a785d5)

  12. over the years i’ve met many people who have made a big deal over their “faith” or religious beliefs, but i can’t think of very many that had any influence on me.

    the people who have were the ones that never *talked* about it, but simply let their everyday activities and actions be their witness. Mr. Cathy was one of those kind of people, and the world is a smaller place with him gone.

    i believe it was Bertrand Russel who said “It’s not that Christianity was tried and found wanting, but that it was tried and found difficult.”

    redc1c4 (abd49e)

  13. I’d eaten one Chick-fil-A sandwich, didn’t especially care for it, and probably wouldn’t have gone back. But when LGBT’s Nazi activists started protesting and calling for a boycott, I joined with millions of others and bought several sandwiches on the specified day. The place was so overcrowded there wasn’t room to park for several blocks. And, everyone there knew exactly why everyone else was there. It was a community of like-minded Americans out to make a point, and the sandwich was good too.

    ropelight (36b164)

  14. For fast food, it’s good. The daughter does not care for the sandwiches that much but she likes the salads. Their coffee, at least original American, is s-t-r-o-n-g.

    nk (dbc370)

  15. Since my wife has spent almost her entire career raising money for non-profits, I have become acquainted with Chik-fil-A franchise owners. They donate a lot to causes from women’s shelters to education. They work hard in their communities.

    I can only speak from my experience, but every franchise owner I have met started by working for Chik-fil-A. They started as cooks or at the counter or cleaning the bathrooms while in high school. Every one of them worked up the ladder because they loved working for the company and wanted to own a business. They all employ people regardless of race or orientation. I have never heard any employee ever say “God Bless You” or “Have a blessed day” or any other Christianist espousal.

    Apparently, the only objection to Chik-fil-A is that it allows hard-working people the opportunity to successful.

    That says much more about its critics than its culture.

    Ag80 (eb6ffa)

  16. “to be” of course.

    Ag80 (eb6ffa)

  17. there’s nothing wrong with this blessed day business

    but it IS a thing

    the important thing is tasty sammiches are involved

    happyfeet (a785d5)

  18. Dana, minor typo in last quote:

    …all that Chick-fil-A does as a chain. ork and family.

    “, w”ork and family.

    BfC (8661e2)

  19. Oh no, not orks! Thanks, BfC. I’m not able to make correction until tonight.

    Dana (d366c2)

  20. I think that’s a regional or cultural thing, happyfeet. People at my workplace say Have a bless-ed day as well. I think the two-syllable word is used as an adjective, while the one syllable is used more like a verb.

    OmegaPaladin (f4a293)

  21. yes it seems to be associated a lot with southern baptists

    happyfeet (a785d5)


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